Houston Rockets head coach Rick Adelman argues a call against his team in the first quarter of the Denver Nuggets' 111-94 victory over the Rockets in an NBA game in Denver on Sunday, April 13, 2008. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Newser)
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Allen Iverson scored 33 points and J.R. Smith sparked the Nuggets out of their early doldrums with a 23-point performance in Denver's 111-94 rout of the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, putting the Nuggets on the cusp of the NBA playoffs. All Denver has to do now to get in is beat lowly Memphis on Wednesday night at home.

Denver (49-32) moved a half-game ahead of Golden State for the eighth and final playoff spot with their rout of the Rockets. It was a surprisingly easy win for the Nuggets, who pulled away with a 10-0 run sparked by consecutive 3-pointers from Smith spanning the first and second quarters. Luther Head lead Houston with 19 points and Tracy McGrady scored 16.